THE weather and cup commitments limited local League action in last weekend’s women’s football programme.

Silsden welcomed Wetherby Athletic to Skipton Road for a West Riding County Premier Division match. Player of the match Nicola Frankland scored twice as Silsden recorded a 2–1 win, their second of the season.

Athletico also avoided postponement as they hosted Brighouse Town Development in an end-to-end Third Division game. Athletico missed many first-half chances, and unfortunately the visitors were 2–0 up going into the break.

Early in the second half, the home side’s resilience showed as Megan Sparkes and Sadhya Akhtar brought the game level. The game then proved to be a cagey contest with goals being scored at either end of the pitch, with Claire Graham and an Aqsa Ahmad brace giving Athletico a 5–4 advantage. However the last ten minutes of the game ultimately proved costly for Athletico as they conceded two late goals, the 6–5 loss ending their unbeaten home run.

Next Sunday, Athletico have a local derby away to Bradford (Park Avenue) Ladies’ second string at Hollingwood Lane, and Queensbury Celtic are at Burley. In the First Division, Ilkley Town are at home to Sherburn White Rose and Tyersal entertain Dewsbury Rangers.

Meanwhile, the previous week’s FA Cup, Second Round ties were completed, with Bradford City Women taking on League rivals Chorley at Leigh Sports Village. The first forty minutes were fairly even, with little in the way of real chances. But Chorley finished the first half strongly with a 2–0 advantage. The second half saw City with an early chance, but Chorley took control to take the tie 5–0.

An in-form Brighouse Town dominated the opening stages of their game against underdogs Farsley Celtic Women from two divisions below. However Celts’ defence were up to the task and held firm until the half-hour mark, when Leah Embley opened the scoring. Player of the match Cara Fields’ brace just before half-time put Town 3–0 up.

Amy Woodruff scored two either side of another three goals from Embley, to end the game at 8–0 and send Town through to the next round this Sunday, at home to Championship side Sunderland (1 pm).

Leeds United were involved in an entertaining match at Norton. In a close first half, Aaliyah Nolan beat the line to put the Whites in front with less than five minutes played, but Norton and Stockton’s Shannon Reed’s thunder strike brought them level before the break. The second half saw Leeds with most of the action, with the game settled in the 89th minute, after Kathryn Smith’s low shot found its target. Leeds play Durham in the Third Round, at Tadcaster.

The West Riding County Cup has also reached the Third Round stage, starting next Thursday, 16 December with Bradford City’s mid-week date at Yorkshire Amateur. Other matches take place on the following Sunday (19 December), when Bradford (Park Avenue) return to action with a difficult tie against Leeds United (Horsfall Stadium, 13:30).